The Jurassic Park franchise began as a novel by Michael Crichton. However, it wouldn't be until Steven Spielberg released his film of the same name that it hit superstardom. The franchise about people stuck on an island theme park with living breathing dinosaurs has spawned four sequels, a TV show and video games. However, when it comes to video games, none of the titles have managed to capture the horror of being lost on an island with hungry dinosaurs.
While the Jurassic Park games released have captured various feelings of what it is like to live in that world, its largest success was in Jurassic World: Evolution. The game allows players to control their own parks and care for the dinosaurs while also taking care of guests and creating new species. However, on occasion, the dinosaurs have been known to escape. There is a lot of potential in the franchise taking a bite out of the survival horror game, and many similar titles have already done some of the hard work in developing a title like that has already been done.
To bring a game like this to life, it is important to take notes from those that have done it before. Titles like Dino Crisis have shown that action set pieces between dinosaurs and humans are possible. However, the biggest difference is that that particular franchise also has a heavy emphasis on guns and tends to transition more into an action-shooter. For Jurassic Park to be a true survival horror game, that can't happen.
The best way to limit offensive action as much as possible is to eliminate a large number of weapons. In keeping true to the franchise, large rifles and shotguns would be available, but they would be sparse and found in places like the Discovery Center or a random park ranger outpost. The majority of the game would rely more on resources like flares, health kits and tools to help with other tasks like restoring power. "Combat" against dinosaurs would largely be about creating distractions to get them off a player's scent or setting traps by using the environment to make for a fast getaway.
The atmosphere would be everything when bringing survival horror to Jurassic Park. Titles like the upcoming Deathground game are becoming the best way to experience a similar title. While still being in early development, Deathground has already mastered how to create tension with its atmosphere. Whether in a dense jungle or a tight corridor, it should always feel like a predator is close by. By implementing a similar mechanic to what was used in the Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation, the dinosaurs would constantly be stalking the player.
Players would have access to a large section of Isla Nublar, the site of the original park. Using a jeep, players would gradually gain access to more of the island and travel farther for tasks. The jeep would need gas, forcing the player to find some when running low, meaning danger could be close as the dinosaurs can freely roam the area. A simple mission could involve a speedy getaway followed by a T-Rex chase or being stalked by a pack of Velociraptors. Unpredictability would be the gameplay's main draw as the player ventures to similar locations from the films in their search to get off the island.
Nostalgia would also play a large role in the game as the title would feature easter eggs and name drops of some iconic moments and characters, and the music that saturated the films would play a large role in building tension and excitement during the various action scenes or discovering a secret InGen lab. A Jurassic Park survival horror game might be a long way away from reality. However, should it ever become a reality, it would be an instant hit and something the fans deserve.